CRTs are perhaps the most common video display device and have found widespread use in television receivers and computer terminals. The increasing emphasis on ergonomics is placing increasing demands upon the CRT in these environments, as well as in other applications in which the CRT is employed. One ergonomic factor of CRTs is the extent incident light is reflected from the CRT's display panel, or faceplate, to the viewer or user. Light reflected from the faceplate makes it more difficult to view a video image produced by the CRT. Ideally, reflection of light in the visible light wavelength range of 400-700 nm should be minimized for optimum viewing of the CRT. Typical antireflective coatings applied to the outer surface of the CRT's glass display screen are based upon negative reflective light interference wherein reflected light coming from the coating surface and the glass substrate surface under the coating cancel each other for minimizing light reflection. There are typically two types of antireflective coatings, broadband and narrow band antireflective coatings. While broadband antireflective coatings are preferred because of the reduced reflection they afford over the visible light spectrum, the high manufacturing costs of current broadband antireflective coatings requiring complicated and expensive vacuum deposition processes precludes the widespread commercial use of these types of coatings. The conventional liquid spin method of coating application used in depositing narrow band antireflective coatings has not been adapted for use in applying broadband antireflective coatings.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing an antireflective and antistatic coating for the outer surface of a CRT glass display panel which reduces ambient light reflection over the entire visible spectrum. An inner antistatic coating and outer broadband antireflective coating may be applied by conventional means such as spinning, spraying or dipping, with the antireflective coating provided with a continuous decreasing light refractive index for broadband light reflection suppression.